Britons WILL have to wear facemasks in takeaways
Face masks WILL be compulsory in coffee shops, takeaways, banks and shops from TOMORROW: Minister finally confirms the new rules – with just hours for businesses and customers prepare
- Britons could have to wear facemasks in sandwich shops under new legislation
- No10 may be set to perform a U-turn on face coverings after more confusion
- Retail chiefs are concerned the new rules could increase violence against staff
By Joe Middleton For Mailonline
Published: 21:04 EDT, 22 July 2020 | Updated: 04:08 EDT, 23 July 2020
Britons will have to wear facemasks when collecting food or drink in takeaways or coffee shops and while visiting banks and shops under new legislation set to be introduced tomorrow, a Cabinet Minister confirmed today.
But thousands of stores in England are not expected to enforce the new rules, with No 10 facing a possible U-turn amid confusion and mixed messages from ministers over where customers will have to wear the coverings.
In the latest advice, Conservative MP and Cabinet minister Brandon Lewis said today that masks will be required in supermarkets, banks and when picking up a takeaway – but not if eating in at a restaurant offering takeaways.
It comes nine days after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on July 14 that wearing a face mask in shops and supermarkets will be compulsory from tomorrow, with anyone failing to comply facing a fine of up to £100.
But the new regulations will only be published later today, less than 24 hours before they come into effect, with hospitality chiefs accusing ministers of ‘two different messages coming out’ and not providing enough clarity.
Conservative MP and Cabinet minister Brandon Lewis told BBC Breakfast this morning that masks will be required in supermarkets, banks and when picking up a takeaway – but not if eating in at a restaurant offering takeaways
Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks with a paramedic as he visits headquarters of the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust last week on July 13 while wearing a mask
A woman wears a protective face mask in a McDonald’s restaurant in London yesterday after more than 700 restaurants of the fast-food chain reopened with a dine-in service
A woman wearing a mask walks among other shoppers – some wearing masks – on London’s Oxford Street yesterday
Mr Lewis, who is the Northern Ireland Secretary, told BBC Breakfast this morning: ‘What changes from tomorrow is we are saying people from tomorrow, you should wear face masks if you are in shops or supermarkets.
‘The difference that people may not have been aware of, and what will be outlined in the regulations today, is if you are going into a takeaway, and you are eating in somewhere that has got a takeaway, then that is like hospitality, you are eating, it’s not practical to wear a face mask, we recognise that.
Q&A: What you need to know about face coverings
Face coverings will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets from tomorrow. Under the new rules, people will need to have their nose and mouth covered or face a fine of up to £100. People with certain disabilities will be exempt. This comes after rules requiring people to wear face coverings on public transport became mandatory last month. Initially many experts and authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), suggested face coverings were not effective in preventing the spread of Covid-19 but are now recommending wearing them in indoor spaces.
– Has there been confusion over the new rules?
Yes, opposition MPs have said it needs to be clarified whether customers have to wear face coverings in takeaways and sandwich shops in England. The criticism came after days of mixed messages with the Health Secretary and Boris Johnson’s official spokesman contradicting each other on the matter. The Daily Telegraph reported early today that people using sandwich shops and takeaways will be required to wear a mask, and buying food from the counter and then sitting down to eat inside the shop will be banned. But the Government refused to confirm the report ahead of the formal announcement.
– What does the science say about face coverings?
A report recently published by the Royal Society suggests that even basic homemade face coverings can reduce transmission if enough people wear them when in public. The study, based on mathematical modelling, showed that if an entire population wore face coverings that were only 75% effective, it would bring the R value, which is the number of people an infected individual passes the virus on to, from 4.0 to under 1.0, without the need for lockdowns. Another Royal Society report suggests the use of cotton masks is associated with a 54% lower odds of infection in comparison to the no mask groups, when tested in a healthcare setting. Melinda Mills, Nuffield professor of sociology, at the University of Oxford, told a webinar: ‘So that should suggest that when you’re generally in the public that it should offer you some, not 100 per cent, but it does offer you some protection.’ Meanwhile, another study which looked at coronavirus deaths across 198 countries found that nations which had policies favouring mask-wearing had lower death rates. In another piece of scientific research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month, scientists calculated that wearing face coverings prevented more than 78,000 infections in Italy between April 6 and May 9, and more than 66,000 infections in New York City between April 17 and May 9.
– What are the benefits to wearing them?
Experts say the risk of coronavirus transmission appears to be higher in poorly ventilated indoor spaces and wearing face coverings in small shops or enclosed shopping centres could help reduce the spread. Keith Neal, emeritus professor of the epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said: ‘Lack of strong evidence of their effectiveness should not be considered a problem but the evidence is accumulating that they have a part to play in reducing transmission and also in protecting the wearer.’ In addition, there is also increased evidence which suggests that many people with the virus who do not have symptoms can still be contagious.
– What do people need to know about wearing masks?
Ideally the face coverings should be made of multilayer high quality cotton. Where possible they should be should be worn in indoor confined spaces and crowded spaces, especially where social distancing cannot be maintained. Japan follows the three Cs, closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings. When wearing a face covering, it should cover the mouth and nose with no gaps.
– Are some face coverings better than others?
The Who advises a three-layer face covering in the community – the outer layer should be water resistant, the inner should be water absorbent and the mid-layer acts as a filter. It emphasises that a face covering alone cannot protect people from Covid-19, and must be combined with social distancing of at least a metre and regular hand washing. The Government has said coverings can be made from scarves, bandanas or other fabric items, as long as they cover the mouth and nose. But scientists at the Leverhulme Centre, who studied different types of face coverings used by members of the public, say some coverings are not as effective as others, with loosely woven fabrics, such as scarves, shown to be the least effective. Prof Mills, director of the Leverhulme Centre, said: ‘Attention must also be placed on how well it fits on the face; it should loop around the ears or around the back of the neck for better coverage.’
– What are the main messages about face coverings?
Prof Mills says cloth coverings are an effective way to protect the wearer and those around them. She says that face masks and coverings cannot be seen in isolation and are part of a package that involves hand hygiene and social distancing. Consistent and effective public messaging is vital, she concluded.
‘But if you’re going in to buy a product and leaving again, then you are treating it like a shop, and you should be wearing a face mask.’
He added: ‘If you’re going into an outlet, even if they’ve got areas where you can sit and eat, if you’re eating at the outlet then obviously you don’t need a facemask. If you’re buying your sandwich or whatever it is and leaving again, you’re treating it like a shop and you should be wearing a face mask.’
Asked about wearing masks in banks, Mr Lewis said: ‘Yes, because the idea with wearing a face mask and the point around retail outlets and takeaways and supermarkets as of tomorrow, it’s this balance. It’s about looking at where you come into contact in a confined or more enclosed space for a longer period of time. When you’re outside, when you’re in fresh air, when you’re moving around, obviously the virus is less likely to transmit.
‘When you’re in a more enclosed environment, like public transport, like retail, and you’re in that space with other people, strangers for a bit longer, then it is right and appropriate to wear a face mask.’
Pressed on whether face masks were definitely required in banks, Mr Lewis said: ‘That’s my understanding, yes.’ BBC presenter Charlie Stayt then asked him: ‘OK, so you’re not sure about that?’ Mr Lewis replied: ‘As I say, it’s all retail outlets, and yes, retail banks on our high streets are retail outlets effectively as well.’
It is understood that the Government is aiming to clear up the confusion on food establishments later and confirm takeaways with seating indoors will be treated the same as other shops and customers will have to wear a mask.
A Government source told the Telegraph that only eateries with table service will not require masks, adding: ‘You have to sit down straight away if you are going to eat in. If you can sit at a table you don’t need to wear a mask.’
But Kate Nicholls, chief executive for UKHospitality, told BBC Breakfast: ‘When the measure on making face masks and face coverings mandatory was announced ten, 11 days ago, we did have two different messages coming out.
‘The Health Secretary suggested that you would need to have a face covering if you were going in for a takeaway. Number 10 later in the day said that you would not, and that they would be treated as hospitality businesses, because they are hospitality, they’re not retail.
‘We’ve now got a different message coming out from a Government minister today, which is 24 hours before the industry needs to act. So we will of course do everything we can in our power to get ready in that time, to make sure that the messages are communicated, but we haven’t had that gap to get ready because we were told ten, 11 days ago that you’re hospitality, not retail.’
Under the new regulations, people will need to have their nose and mouth covered or be liable for a fine of up to £100. However, those with certain disabilities will be exempt.
They will bring bring England into line with Scotland, where face coverings are already mandatory in shops.
However the rules on face masks came after days of confusion in Government last week about where and when they should be used, with Mr Hancock and the Prime Minister contradicting each other on the matter.
The Health Secretary said last week: ‘You do need to wear a face mask in Pret because Pret is a shop. If there’s table service, it is not necessary to have a mask. But in any shop, you do need a mask. So, if you’re going up to the counter in Pret to buy takeaway that is a shop.’
But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman later said: ‘We will be publishing the full guidance shortly but my understanding is that it wouldn’t be mandatory if you went in, for example, to a sandwich shop in order to get a takeaway to wear a face covering.
‘It is mandatory … we are talking about supermarkets and other shops rather than food shops.’
Despite changes to the law, stores have said they will not enforce the rules themselves, as reported by the Daily Mirror.
Since the lockdown violence against retail workers have risen by an alarming 40 per cent, with shop bosses fearing that asking unruly shoppers to put on a mask could exacerbate the situation.
The Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: ‘We are helping retailers to communicate the rules around face coverings as widely as possible to customers, but have advised our members not to challenge customers who are unwilling to wear one.
‘The safety of retailers and their colleagues is our number one priority and we are keen to avoid any potential flashpoints of abuse in stores.’
The ACS is issuing posters with the words ‘thank you for wearing a face mask’ and signs explaining why some people may be exempt. ‘
Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick has already said she hoped shoppers will instead be ‘shamed’ into wearing face masks in stores.
Speaking to LBC radio yesterday, Dame Cressida urged shoppers to take the initiative and wear a mask, but said if shop keepers are concerned and ‘have tried everything else’, her officers will try to assist.
‘Calling the police should be a last resort for dealing with a mask issue. But of course the law is the law,’ she said.
An employee wearing PPE including a mask and visor serves a customer at a Greggs bakery in London on June 18
‘My hope is that the vast majority of people will comply, and that people who are not complying will be shamed into complying or shamed to leave the store by the store keepers or by other members of the public.
‘If somebody is concerned about what is going on in their store, yes, of course they should call the police and we will try to assist.’
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: ‘While retailers will play their part in communicating the new rules on face coverings, they must not be the ones enforcing them.
Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Munira Wilson said that with just a day to go to the new rules being enforced, the Government was in a mess.
She said: ‘People need a Government that can offer genuine reassurances and steer the country to safety.
‘After all, clear communication is critical in a public health crisis. Instead, this confusion on guidance shows Ministers simply could not organise a bun fight in a bakery.
Conservative MP Michael Gove finally fell into line by wearing a mask in Westminster last week (left, on July 15) – after being pictured going into a Pret in London with a bare face one day earlier (right, on July 14)
Chancellor Rishi Sunak posted a picture of himself on July 15 wearing a covering while getting a takeaway from Pret
‘All this stinks of ministers making it up as they go along instead of listening to the experts.
Face shields worn by hairdressers and salon workers DON’T protect against Covid-19 but masks DO, Swiss health officials say
Face shields worn by hairdressers are not protective against Covid-19 — but masks are, health chiefs in Switzerland have claimed.
Swiss officials investigated an outbreak of ‘several’ coronavirus cases that occurred at a hotel in a village in the Alps — even though employers took precautions.
Experts revealed only those who wore plastic visors were infected. But no-one who wore a mask, either alone or in addition to a face shield, caught the coronavirus, according to the study.
Clear visors are recommended by the UK Government for hairdressers, barbers, nail technicians and tattooists as a barrier between them and the customer.
But it claims no other protection needs to be worn by either the worker or customer in order to protect against the coronavirus.
Experts say there is a lack of strong scientific evidence to support face shields and virus-laden droplets may still be able to enter the mouth.
‘The Government must urgently provide the clarity businesses need to operate and people need to feel safe.’
Passengers have been required to wear face coverings on public transport in England since last month.
Former head of the civil service Lord O’Donnell told peers on Wednesday the Government needed to improve its communications.
Giving evidence to the Lords Public Services Committee, he said: ‘If anyone knows what the clear message on masks is, please tell me.’
Last week ministers caused chaos with a serious of contradictory statements and actions regarding face coverings.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak and International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, for example, were pictured wearing masks at a Pret a Manger in Westminster – while Michael Gove was photographed in the sandwich shop without one.
Then last Wednesday morning Matt Hancock announced coverings would be compulsory in sandwich shops such as Pret a Manger.
The response sparked anger from Mayor of London Mr Khan, who tweeted: ‘This is frankly ridiculous. The virus doesn’t know if you’re in a take-away or a supermarket.
‘The Government is risking the health of the public to cover the back of a Cabinet Minister. Please wear a face covering in all shops and takeaways.’
Mr Gove finally fell into line by wearing an NHS-branded face covering in Whitehall – having sparked a furore by publicly making clear he did not think they should be required by law, and being spotted in a sandwich shop without one.
Later last Wednesday the Health Secretary was contradicted by Downing Street when the Prime Minister’s spokesman insisted this was not the case.
It was then contradicted by Department of Health officials who confirmed masks would be mandatory from July 24 in line with all other shops.
The next day, Business Secretary Alok Sharma told Sky News masks would not be necessary when buying food to takeaway. ‘It won’t be compulsory but we would certainly encourage it,’ he said.
UK announces 79 more coronavirus deaths as daily number of victims continues to drop — but official figures show outbreak may be growing with average new cases 10% higher than last week
by Sam Blanchard for MailOnline
Another 79 people have died of Covid-19 in Britain as official figures released today reveal the daily number of victims is still dropping —but cases are still rising in a sign the outbreak is growing.
Department of Health statistics show 64 Britons are succumbing to the illness each day, on average. By contrast, the rate last Wednesday was 75.
Today marked the seventh day in a row that no deaths have been recorded in Scotland and only one death has been counted in the past fortnight, showing the country is on the way to being free of coronavirus.
The number of cases, however, seems to be rising. A further 560 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus, up from 440 yesterday, and the seven-day average has been risen 9.2 per cent in the last week.
There are now an average 638 people diagnosed each day, up from 584 seven days ago and from 546 a week before that on July 8.
The increasing average may be a sign the infection has started spreading again, confirming fears of top scientists that ‘Super Saturday’ would trigger a surge in cases — or it could be a result of more targeted testing.
As Britain’s Covid-19 outbreak continues to fade away, ministers today announced care homes in England will be allowed to reopen for visits for the first time.
Homes now have the green light to work with local authorities and set up visiting systems that allow residents to have one ‘constant visitor’ each who will be able to pop in regularly provided they book in advance and wear face coverings.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘I know how painful it has been for those in care homes not being able to receive visits from their loved ones throughout this period.’
Yesterday’s data comes as:
- Care homes in England are now allowed to reopen to visitors for their residents, as long as they keep social distancing and PPE rules in place’;
- An outbreak in Spain is worsening so much that officials may be forced to rethink the rules allowing Brits to holiday there without quarantining on return;
- Public health experts say hand-shakes could be a thing of the past because of long-term social distancing rules;
- A Government SAGE adviser has claimed that there is no proof of children passing Covid-19 to their teachers anywhere in the world;
- A top epidemiologist in Sweden said it is likely that anyone who catches coronavirus will not get it again within six months;
- The UK Government is considering ‘air bridges’ to specific regions which have low levels of coronavirus even when a country as a whole has not been deemed safe;
- Swiss health officials say the face shields worn by hairdressers and salon staff do not prevent Covid-19 and are no replacement for masks.
Department of Health figures released this afternoon showed 140,000 tests were carried out or posted the day before. The number includes antibody tests for frontline NHS and care workers.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REALLY DIED OF THE CORONAVIRUS IN THE UK?
Department of Health: 45,501
Department of Health’s latest death count for all settings (as of 9am, July 22) stands at 45,501.
The daily data does not represent how many Covid-19 patients died within the last 24 hours — it is only how many fatalities have been reported and registered with the authorities.
It also only takes into account patients who tested positive for the virus, as opposed to deaths suspected to be down to the coronavirus.
National statistical bodies: 56,113
Data compiled by the statistical bodies of each of the home nations show 56,113 people died of either confirmed or suspected Covid-19 across the UK by the end of May.
The Office for National Statistics yesterday confirmed that 51,096 people in England and Wales died with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 by July 10.
The number of coronavirus deaths was 824 by the same day in Northern Ireland, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
National Records Scotland — which collects statistics north of the border — said 4,193 people had died across the country by July 19.
Their tallies are always 10 days behind the Department of Health (DH) because they wait until as many fatalities as possible for each date have been counted, to avoid having to revise their statistics.
Excess deaths: 65,249
The total number of excess deaths has now passed 65,000.
Excess deaths are considered to be an accurate measure of the number of people killed by the pandemic because they include a broader spectrum of victims.
As well as including people who may have died with Covid-19 without ever being tested, the data also shows how many more people died because their medical treatment was postponed, for example, or who didn’t or couldn’t get to hospital when they were seriously ill.
Data from England and Wales shows there has been an extra 59,324 deaths between March 15 and June 12, as well as 4,924 in Scotland between March 10 and June 22 and 1,001 in Northern Ireland between March 28 and June 26.
But bosses again refused to say how many people were tested, meaning the exact number of Brits who have been swabbed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been a mystery for a month — since May 22.
Health chiefs also reported 560 more people had tested positive for Covid-19. Government data shows the official size of the UK’s outbreak now stands at 296,377 cases.
But the actual size of the outbreak, which began to spiral out of control in March, is estimated to be in the millions, based on antibody testing data.
It means the rolling average of daily cases has risen to 638 — 9 per cent higher than the mean of 584 recorded last Wednesday.
The daily death data does not represent how many Covid-19 patients died within the last 24 hours — it is only how many fatalities have been reported and registered with the authorities.
The data does not always match updates provided by the home nations. Department of Health officials work off a different time cut-off, meaning daily updates from Scotland as well as Northern Ireland are always out of sync.
And the count announced by NHS England every afternoon — which only takes into account deaths in hospitals — does not match up with the DH figures because they work off a different recording system.
For instance, some deaths announced by NHS England bosses will have already been counted by the Department of Health, which records fatalities ‘as soon as they are available’.
The Department of Health has temporarily paused the count on its website after discovering that Public Health England was counting the deaths of everyone who has ever had coronavirus, regardless of their real cause.
Matt Hancock last week ordered a review of how the data is collected because scientists pointed out the daily death tolls were too high because people who were dying of other causes were being included.
Dr Yoon Loke, a pharmacologist at the University of East Anglia, discovered the error and told MailOnline: ‘Because of this major flaw in the statistics, and the fact that tens of thousands of older people are being monitored, there is going to be a very very long tail of daily deaths.
‘The death toll will go down exceedingly slowly. It’s certainly not going to get to zero for months to come yet, because older people who have recovered from Covid-19 will unfortunately still succumb to other illnesses.’
Government figures show the rolling seven-day average of daily deaths now stands at 64 — a 15 per cent drop on the mean of 75 this time last week.
NHS England today registered 10 deaths of patients who tested positive for the infection in hospitals across the country. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales announced no new victims.
It comes after data from Office for National Statistics yesterday showed that nearly three times as many people are now dying from the flu and pneumonia than coronavirus in England and Wales.
Covid-19 fatalities have dropped to the lowest levels since well before lockdown, with 283 people succumbing to the life-threatening infection in the week ending July 10.
By contrast, 418 coronavirus deaths were recorded in England and Wales in the seven-day spell before that, and more than 8,000 were registered during the worst week of the crisis in April.
Yesterday’s was the lowest figure since the week ending March 13, 10 days before Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the draconian measures to curb the spread of the virus.
For comparison, 917 influenza and pneumonia deaths were registered in the same week. The number of Covid-19 deaths registered — which is always slightly higher than how many occurred — in the same time-frame was 366.
Most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also show the number of fatalities has fallen in all regions of England and Wales as the virus continues to peter out in the UK.
And deaths of any cause are now the lowest they have been all year, with promising statistics showing the number of fatalities has been below average for the past four weeks in a row.
ONS experts explained that Covid-19 likely sped up the deaths of people who would have died of other causes, meaning the year’s fatalities have been front-loaded. As a result, fewer people are now dying of causes such as heart disease and dementia because they have already succumbed to the coronavirus.
Separate data last week showed infection levels in the UK have stabilised and scientists suggest the death rate may fall because of warmer weather. There are growing concerns, however, that the virus could return and cause more death and disease in the winter when people are more susceptible.
The Government today announced that people living in care homes in England will be allowed family visits again for the first time since lockdown started in March – but residents will be limited to just one visitor each.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has given care homes the green light to start arranging visits as long as social distancing and protective equipment rules are followed.
But each resident will only be allowed a single nominated visitor who can visit regularly as long as they book in advance and wear a mask and extra PPE if required.
The much-anticipated move brings England in line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which have been allowing visits in care homes for weeks.
Local councils and public health officials in England will decide on a case-by-case basis which homes will be able to reopen, depending on levels of coronavirus in the area.
Mr Hancock said: ‘I know how painful it has been for those in care homes not being able to receive visits from their loved ones throughout this period.
‘We are now able to carefully and safely allow visits to care homes, which will be based on local knowledge and circumstances for each care home.
‘It is really important that we don’t undo all of the hard work of care homes over the last few months while ensuring families and friends can be safely reunited so we have put in place guidance that protects everyone.’
